A preliminary analytical study was made of the feasibility of electric propulsion to transfer a communications satellite from a low circular orbit, with an inclination to the equator, to the synchronous, equatorial orbit. The dynamics of orbit raising and plane change when using a low thrust, the salient features of electric propulsion and the optimization of such a system was analyzed. A considerable gain in payload can be achieved by using electric propulsion at the cost of a long mission time. The optimum specific impulse of such a system is in the range of 800 to 2000 seconds, which is lower than what had been expected. (Author)
Achievement of Synchronous, Equatorial Orbit by Electric Propulsion
1968
58 pages
Report
No indication
English
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